A Hungry Javelina Stole A Subaru In Search Of Cheetos

How far would you go to get a midnight snack? Photo: Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office

Have you heard of the javelina? I hadn’t until this morning. It’s a medium-sized hoofed animal that looks a bit like a cuddly warthog, and they seem great. But did you know that they love Cheetos? So much so that one stole a car to try and grab a bag.

Normally, these snouty little rascals can be found throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean, and in the southwest states of America. There, they survive on roots, grubs, and a variety of other foods such as certain cacti species and yuka. Cheetos are not usually part of that diet.

But a bag of Cheetos is what one of these trotty little terrors went in search of in Cornville, Arizona.

According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO), officers were called out to reports of a javelina stuck inside a Subaru. But how and why was it stuck there?

Well, according to neighbors and the owner of the Subaru, the prickly little customer simply trotted up to the open car trunk and climbed in. There, it gorged itself on a packet of Cheetos.

Look at the cute little javelina! Photo: Stephanie Pilick (Getty Images)

But this wasn’t just a harmless midnight snack for this peckish pig. After polishing off the last few Cheeto crumbs, the javelina tried to break free from the Subaru only to find itself stuck inside.

While trying to escape, it reportedly ripped a portion of the dashboard off, damaged the passenger door interior and, worst of all, knocked the vehicle into neutral. This caused the car to roll out of the driveway and across the street, until it came to a stop under a cluster of trees.

Once on the scene, YCSO officers safely opened the hatch of the car, allowing the jolted javelina to carefully jump out and run off back into the wilderness where it belongs.

Officers reported that the javelina was unharmed after the ordeal. Phew!

A few more fun facts I learned about Javelinas this morning, they can also be called “skunk pigs,” and a group of javelinas is called a squadron. The more you know.